The first wave of Winter Storm Fern has fallen over the Southeast and lower Midwest. As predicted, the dividing line between ice and snow remains Interstate 40. Major interstates are shut down across the country in various spots.
Interstate 70 is closed in various spots throughout Missouri, fairly close to St. Louis, as a result of snow and accidents, with first responders struggling to make it to the scene due to poor road conditions.
Almost every interstate heading into the city of Dallas has closed due to icy roads. As of the time of publishing, there are no widespread power shortages in Texas or any other state.
Nashville has seen deteriorating road conditions throughout the day as the ice is expected to fall 0.75” over the next 12 hours.
Along the path of the storm, meteorologists and state officials are urging drivers to stay off the roads from 10 pm Saturday night through 2 pm on Sunday.
The storm is impacting major freight hubs.
UPS has closed the hub in Louisville, Kentucky, due to the storm, as the city is expected to get over a foot of snow. As reported by WKLY in Louisville, a UPS spokesperson said, “Worldport hub, ramp and management employees should NOT report to work for Sunday’s Second Day Air operations. Other employees should contact their management teams for guidance. UPS has contingency plans to resume service as soon as safety allows and to get our customers’ critical shipments moving as quickly as possible.”
According to FedEx’s website, “FedEx has activated contingency plans to mitigate the impact of winter storms at the Memphis and Indianapolis hubs. Potential delays are possible for packages with a ship date of Friday, January 23, and Saturday, January 24, as well as shipments with a delivery commitment of Saturday, January 24. While the safety of our team members remains our number one priority, FedEx is committed to providing the best service possible under these conditions.” Customers are urged to check their tracking information for more specific updates.
The Northeast and East Coast have just begun seeing the first impacts of Winter Storm Fern as the snow moves into the area. Winter storm warnings are expected to be in effect longer in these regions, making travel almost impossible before the various state departments of transportation shut down interstates or state highways.
The second wave of the storm is expected to drop more ice and snow, which is where a majority of the accumulation will come from, and it’s expected to come overnight, making roads essentially impassible by the morning.
The post Assessing the first wave of Winter Storm Fern appeared first on FreightWaves.
